Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara

FSA is Santa Barbara County 's first and oldest non-sectarian, human-service nonprofit. Its programs help people help themselves. FSA services prevent family breakdown, intervene effectively where problems are known to exist and help individuals and families build on existing strength. Family Service Agency programs are available throughout Santa Barbara County. We offer programs addressing the unique concerns of youth, individuals, couples and seniors.

Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara Website

Special Needs Network

The Special Needs Network is a new club for the siblings of individuals with disabilities. The club will consist of several fun activities for the siblings and will also be a chance to get away and relax with others who have siblings with disabilities. Contact Laura King @ 805 - 344 - 1403

Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles - Heart and Halo Talent

DSALA is contacted with opportunities in the entertainment industry for individuals with Down syndrome. This program provides the information and resources to register individuals with Down syndrome as talent so that we have the referrals when we get a casing call for talent with Down syndrome or other developmental disabilities.

We don’t get a lot of calls, but when we do if we don’t have the talent ready the producers might go with something else and we will miss the opportunity to have someone with Down syndrome or other developmental disability in the public eye.

For more information and what you need to get involved, check out the site HERE!

Alpha Resource Center

A non-profit organization established in 1953 that provides services and supports for people with developmental disabilities and their families in the County of Santa Barbara, California.

Santa Barbara County Selpa

>The Santa Barbara County Special Education Local Plan Area, SELPA, is a group of 23 school districts and the County Education Office that have joined together to provide Special Education programs and services.
The SELPA is organized as a Joint Powers Agency which is technically an independent governmental agency. The governance of the JPA is described in detail in the Joint Powers Agreement.
The SELPA office is located at the Goleta Union School District Administrative Center. The office is staffed by a Director, Coordinator, Office Manager and Secretary. The SELPA is a regional administrative office which ensures the equal provision of Special Education services to children with disabilities.

Check out the SELPA calender for a huge selection of upcoming events in the 2010 - 2011 year! For more information about Santa Barbara SELPA, please follow the link the their website as well!

SELPA Upcoming Events 2010-11

Best Buddies California- Santa Barbara Chapter

The mission of Best Buddies is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment.

Best Buddies Colleges pairs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in one-to-one friendships with college students. In the past, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have not had the opportunity to have friends outside of their own environment. Best Buddies Colleges provides an opportunity for participants to change the world simply by making a new friend.

Best Buddies Colleges also offers volunteers a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills. With the support of school faculty and Best Buddies staff, students and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities lead and direct the chapters in their schools.

For more info, please contact Dustin Wailes [dwailes3@hotmail.com]- SB Chapter at UCSB

Tri-Counties Regional Center

TCRC contracts with the State of California to provide supports and services for children and adults with developmental disabilities living in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties.

CHADD (Children & Adults with ADD/ADHD)

CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is the nation's leading non-profit organization serving individuals with AD/HD and their families. CHADD has over 16,000 members in 200 local chapters throughout the U.S. Chapters offer support for individuals, parents, teachers, professionals, and others.

CHADD is a membership organization, produces the bi-monthly Attention! magazine (for members), and sponsors an annual conference. The National Resource Center on AD/HD (NRC) is the CDC-funded national clearinghouse for evidence-based information about AD/HD.

Contact information for all local chapters is available online through the CHADD Chapter Locator.

CHADD was founded in 1987 in response to the frustration and sense of isolation experienced by parents and their children with AD/HD.

Autism Society of Santa Barbara

The mission of this ASASB is to promote lifelong access and opportunity for all individuals within the autism spectrum, and their families, to be fully participating, included members of their community. Support, education, advocacy, and an active public awareness form the cornerstones of ASA Santa Barbara's efforts to carry forth its mission.

Down Syndrome Association Santa Barbara County

The DSA Mission is to enhance the welfare of people with Down syndrome and their families through the development and promotion of education, counseling, employment and recreational programs and to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of Down syndrome.

DSASBC Feb Newsletter pg 1
DSASBC Feb Newsletter pg2

National Down Syndrome Congress- Website Home Page
National Down Syndrome Congress -Informational Resources

Down Syndrome Fact Sheet

Lindamood-bell Learning Center Santa Barbara

Lindamood-Bell develops language processing so everyone can learn to his or her potential. In order to be a proficient learner, in any subject, it is critical that an individual is able to efficiently process information, either by listening or reading.
Our instruction helps a wide range of individuals of all ages (Pre-K through adult) by addressing the underlying skills necessary for independence and self-correction. Beyond traditional subject tutoring, we focus on the development of processing skills.
It is common to see years of learning gain in just weeks of intensive instruction. The rapport we build with our students and consistency in instruction produces superior results. All students are approached as individuals to be appreciated and aided in realizing their gifts and potential. Every aspect of our interaction is oriented to enhance our students' self-confidence and to develop trust in their abilities to think, reason, and communicate.

Koegel Autism Research & Training Center, UCSB

The Koegel Autism Research & Training Center is overseen by Drs. Robert and Lynn Koegel. The major goals of the center are increasing our understanding of autism spectrum disorders, the development and implementation of state-of-the-art pivotal response treatments, as well as the improvement of elementary and secondary education efforts for children with autism and other severe disabilities.
The center's primary interests lie in research and training (both pre-service and in-service), focusing on family support and on the education of children with autism in community environments and classrooms with their typically developing peers. The center conducts research regarding the development of treatment delivery systems through families, schools, non-disabled peers, and others who provide support for children with autism in educational settings.
The center is funded by a number of sources, including the state of California, federal research and training grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Department of Education, and through private donations.

UCP/Work, Inc.

UCP/WORK, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower and support people with significant disabilities so that they may achieve the highest degree of independence. UCP/Work, Inc. has been serving Santa Barbara for over 40 years!

Institute on Disability

The Institute on Disability/UCED (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a coherent university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families.

People Creating Success, Inc

People Creating Success, Inc, is based on Visions, Positive Attitude and Leadership for people with developmental disabilities. People Creating Success, Inc. works in concert with the individual’s circle of support to facilitate and sustain their liberty to make life decisions based on choice, personal preferences and need. Individuals are encouraged to make informed choices, get involved in their immediate community and become as independent as possible, all of which will contribute to increased self-esteem and a richer quality of life.

Hidden Wings

Our goal is to found the first college for those on the autistic spectrum. We intend to concentrate on the particular needs of this group. We plan to incorporate small class size, multi-sensory learning, and technological support, with specific training in social and life skills. Critical components will be rigorous exercise, optimal nutrition, and support for emotional well-being. This evolving pedagogy, we believe, will best support and grow the inherent talents of those on the autistic spectrum. This will create an environment for their gifts to be developed and nurtured without the ridicule and hostility they experience in the outside world.

Pathpoint

The Path to Employment

PathPoint offers a variety of employment services to assist individuals with disabilities or disadvantages to overcome barriers to employment by strategically placing them in work environments that are compatible with their interests, talents and abilities.

The Path to Independence

PathPoint’s living services assist people with disabilities or disadvantages who desire to live more independently. Services are designed to fit the specific needs of each person. Program participants learn health and medication management along with community living skills like nutritional cooking, personal hygiene, safety, banking and money management.

PathPoint’s day programs for adults with developmental disabilities offer community-based skill acquisition that fits the needs and interests of the individual person. Program participants access community services and develop independent living skills (such as banking, budgeting, public transportation, safety and recreational planning) that will benefit them for a lifetime.

The Path to Staffing Solutions

For our business partners, PathPoint offers employers (big and small) customized staffing solutions to help meet all levels of employment needs with well-trained, motivated employees. PathPoint staff provides expert consultation with businesses interested in diversifying their workforce.

PAUSE4kids

Our goal is to "fill the gaps" by helping to provide whatever is needed for our special needs children that is not now readily available.

PAUSE4kids Philosophy

Working to improve the quality of special education through organized advocacy

For us, the term "special education" is not intended solely to mean an academic education Rather, we strive for a “whole-child" philosophy to become both accepted and inherent in the meaning of the term, "special education",

As PAUSE4kids views it, special education includes the academic, social communication, emotional, recreational, an physical education and integration of children with special needs

With that in mind, PAUSE4kids is committed to advocating for our children's legal and civil rights wherever necessary or appropriate